Division II College Recap: Fall Analysis

Photo Courtesy: Cathleen Pruden

The 2016-2017 Division II college season is well underway, and with a break in competition for the week of Thanksgiving this is a perfect time for a brief analysis of the year so far. Queens University of Charlotte is the defending NCAA champions for the last two years on both the men’s and women’s side, and looks to be an early favorite to repeat that on the men’s side. However, the Royals will have a much harder time on the women’s side, where several teams look poised to challenge the defending champions. The latest CSCAA poll from November has Queens leading all men’s teams, while Drury is leading all women’s teams, with Queens sitting in second. You can see the top five teams from the poll below:

Women

Drury
Queens
West Florida
Nova Southeastern
Northern Michigan

Men

Queens
Nova Southeastern
UC San Diego
Northern Michigan
Lindenwood

This year also has seen some newcomers break onto the stage that may be swimming for individual titles at the end of the year. Look below to see four swimmers across Division II swimming who are setting themselves up for big seasons.

Bailee Nunn (Drury – Freshman)

The freshman from Drury has to be a big part of the Panthers chance to unseat Queens as NCAA champions this year. Nunn currently holds three of the #1 times in the country this year, all from the 2016 Missouri Invitational last weekend. That includes the 100 breaststroke (1:00.42), 100 butterfly (53.16), and the 200 IM (1:57.96). All three of those times are automatic qualifiers for NCAA’s, and Nunn’s 100 breaststroke time would have been good enough to win the event last year and set an NCAA record. The freshman also has a scary level of versatility, also holding top three times in the 100 free (3rd – 49.65), 200 butterfly (3rd – 2:02.61), and the 200 breast (2:15.30). While it remains to be seen what she will swim at the end of the year, it is safe to say she will be vying for multiple individual championships. She also adds nice versatility to Drury’s sprint free and medley relays, which are already buoyed by senior and NCAA record holder Wen Xu.

Theresa Michalak (West Florida – Junior)

Perhaps the biggest threat to Bailee Nunn at the end of the year will be West Florida’s Theresa Michalak. The 2016 NCAA champion in the 100 breaststroke while, Michalak also placed second in the 200 IM (1:58.11) and third in the 100 butterfly (53.13) at that meet. The junior has already been faster than her winning time last year in the 100 breaststroke (1:00.62 to 1:01.05), and is only two-tenths behind Bailee Nunn’s number one ranked time. Similar to Nunn, the West Florida swimmer has crazy versatility, currently sitting second in five events: the 50 free (22.53), 100 free (49.42), 100 breast (1:00.62), 100 butterfly (53.98), and 200 IM (1:59.53). Interestingly, her only #1 ranking comes from an event she did not swim individually at NCAA’s last year, the 100 backstroke. She currently holds the top spot in that event with a 54.52.

Konrad Stepien (Drury – Freshman)

Another Drury freshman is making a name for themselves this season on the men’s team in the form of Konrad Stepien, a distance specialist. Stepien currently has the top time in the country in the 500 free by a staggering eight seconds, sitting ahead of Queen’s star junior Dion Dreesens. The Drury freshman posted a 4:17.19 at the Missouri Invitational, winning the event and hitting an automatic qualifying time for NCAA’s in the event. He also finished second in the 1,650 (15:31.17) and fourth in the 200 (1:36.42) to grab the top times in Division II in those events. That should catch the eye of Dreesens, who was the 2016 NCAA Champion in the 200, 500, and 1,000 freestyle events last year. His best time in the 500 is 4:17.09, just a hair faster than what Stepien went last weekend, and an indication that the freshman will challenge the defending NCAA champion come March.

Nick Arakelian (Queens – Junior)

This versatile Queens junior looks to be setting himself up for a third straight NCAA title in the 400 IM, holding the top time in the country after the Wingate Fall Frenzy at 3:48.17. That is about in line what he went last year at that meet (3:48.22), but his other swims were at another level that show he may be reader for another dominating season in the distance freestyle events. Arakelian had an outstanding freshman year at Queens, winning four individual events at the 2015 NCAA Championships, including the 400 IM in an NCAA record of 3:43.84. He repeated that title in 2016, but failed to defend his titles in the 500, 1,000, and 1,650. Looking at his freestyle swims this year compared to last year at the Wingate meet, Arakelian was seven seconds faster than last year in the 500 free and eleven seconds faster in the 1,650. He also went a personal best of 1:58.04 in the 200 breaststroke, a sure sign that the second half of his IM should be one of the best in the country. That 1:58 also makes him the fastest in that event in the country, a sure confidence boost for him heading into winter training and the second half of the season.

To continue following all of the latest news from Division II swimming & diving (and all NCAA competition), make sure to check in on our College News page.

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